This Japanese actor's career was first shaped by his roles in several films directed by Akira Kurosawa, including Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954), and Yojimbo (1961). Though he often has played the quintessential warrior, he has greater range as an actor. His appearances in U.S. productions include Grand Prix (1966), 1941 (1979), and the TV miniseries Shogun (1980). Mifune owns a production company that creates TV movies.